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2022 Magnum Independence Cup… Kaieteur News – Following several notable defeats inclusive of a final’s loss in the 2019 edition, Back Circle captain Selwyn Williams stated that the team is seeking revenge against Sparta Boss on Saturday in the grand finale of the Magnum Independence Cup at the National Park tarmac. This was stated in […]

Rockaway Group and Sunita’s Travel Agency East Coast Commander’s Cup U17 Cricket … Kaieteur News -The Rockaway Group and Sunita’s Travel Agency Sponsored East Coast Commander’s Cup U17 Cricket Tournament continues on Saturday with several potentially captivating affairs. Over at the LBI Community Center Ground, LBICC would be at home to Enmore Community Centre CC, […]

Campanya per recordar a les empreses les seves obligacions quant a la llengua oficial

Животные бесцеремонно носились по огороду

Kaieteur News – Even as the number of persons in intensive care remains at three, the Ministry of Health revealed on Tuesday that within the last assessed 24-hour period, it recorded a total of 65 new COVID-19 cases. The new infections have brought the total number of confirmed cases to 63,926. The dashboard data shows […]

Curtis Bovell, the father of murdered Trinibad artiste N'Kosi Bovell, wants to know what his son did to deserve such a gruesome end. On Sunday evening, 27-year-old Bovell, stage name Fari Dan, was liming with a group of friends shortly before 11pm, at Dutch Fort Restaurant and Bar in Scarborough, when two gunmen approached. Bovell, whose back was turned to the killers, was shot multiple times. The gunmen ran away in the direction they had come from. Footage of the murder was captured by CCTV. Speaking with Newsday on Tuesday, Curtis called on the perpetrators to surrender to police. “Come and give up yourselves. Let the authorities know – tell them straight, because if you lie to me today, you will face it tomorrow when God comes. So, you have to tell the authorities who sent you, what Bovell has done to you for you to commit this crucial act.” Bovell said he was in bed when the shocking news came. “A neighbour came calling me and he showed me a little photo on the phone, but I couldn’t recognise it properly because remember I was sleeping. I looked at the photo again and I realised that yes it was my son from the back view, then his wife bawl out and said look somebody just sent another photo and she ran across and brought it for me to see. So then when she brought it across, I realised it was my son.” He said he remains troubled. “I was shocked, all now it is very painful.” He said the entire family remains traumatised. “Everybody is in a mess right now, everybody is in a mess because everybody knows N’kosi, Fari Dan, Chubby – he was a spoil child in the family. He was loved by everyone.” He said he does not want vengeance. "I leave everything in the hands of the Lord because reprisal, I don’t want that, and I don’t like that. I am not the parent that would swear that I had the best child. I am not saying that my child was involved in any illicit – you would hear all kinds of things but only God is the judge, I can’t judge.” He said there was a lot of rivalry in his son's music. Fari Dan's songs discuss gang violence and murder with over 100,000 hits on YouTube. Among his catalogue include Gun Play, 6 Neva Die, 6 Resurrection, Must Get It and Gingy Fly. “All I know is that my son sings dancehall. If a singer sings something that he doesn’t like, he would sing against it...My son sings against a lot of people who sings dancehall because if you are breathing hatred and malice, my son would sing against it. Even in his videos, he said he know that they would be targeting him, so he knew.” He said he had several conversations with his son about this type of music. “I spoke to him a lot of times. I told him if he could change the rhythm, utilise some gospels in the songs and all these kinds of things.” He said the most difficult thing was to see his son's body being removed from the crime scene. “It was a horrified, terrible situation. I know to myself that I couldn’t stand that; thanks to the people who were around me at that time." He said it is only when a situation like this hits home that you "feel the weight" of what has transpired. "My heart is burning, I am just trying to stay strong.” He said while his son was focused solely on making a name for himself in the music business, he would sell coconuts and breadfruits on the side to make a dollar. He said Bovell used to travel to Trinidad to push his music. "Up to recently, he was in Moruga where he met with his grandmother relatives. All of them was liming, then he left Moruga and came back to Tobago about a week, a week and a half ago.” The father said he last saw his son last Friday by the same bar where the incident took place. “He asked me to buy a soup for him and I gave him $100. Since then, I haven’t seen him.”

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Parents of pupils from the St Dominic's RC School protested on Tuesday to highlight deplorable conditions at the Penal Community Centre. They also demanded that the Government build a new school for the students and staff. Owing to the dilapidated conditions of the wooden school at Oliviere Drive, students from standards one to five have been relocated to the nearby centre for over five years. The infant's department is housed across the street from the original school, in the St Dominic's RC Parish Hall. From 6 am, some 15 parents gathered at the centre's front gates on Community Centre Street. They complained about cramped conditions and said the building is also plagued with electrical and plumbing issues. Valeen Smart, who has a daughter attending the school, said the centre is unsuitable for learning. She estimated that there are 200-plus students and the centre's condition poses a threat to their health and safety. "They are practically sitting one on top of the other inside there. The conditions are unfair to the staff too. They are excellent teachers who go beyond the call of duty. "There are only six toilets for the students, three for the boys and three for the girls. "It is time we get a new school," she said. Another protester, Anthonius George, said parents should not have to be protesting for the authorities to hear their cries. "Just last week I came and fixed most of the toilets in the school. I am not a plumber, but I know a little of the trade. Most of the lighting fixtures are not working properly," George said. "There are certain parts of the school where water gets in the building when it rains. The air condition unit is not working. It is problem after problem." George said the voice of the children is the voice of God and their voices are supposed to be heard. Last week Tuesday, Levi Lewis, 12, and his mother were murdered at their home at Lachoos Road in Penal. He was a student of the school. George said he is hurting about crimes, particularly involving children as both the victims and culprits. He called on society to show love to children. "When are we going to really show love to our children? Our children need to be loved. We need to stand up and do what is right for them." The parents also went to the original site, which was surrounded by overgrown bushes. "People use the yard for grazing cattle and goats," said a parent identified only as Sherry. "The owners moved the animals because they know we are protesting today. There are rats, snakes and bees." Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly and other officials toured several St Patrick education district schools on Tuesday. Newsday spoke with her at St Bridgid's Girls' RC School at La Pastora Street in Siparia. She promised to investigate the matter to bring relief to students and staff. Gadsby-Dolly said she did not have exact details in terms of rebuilding the school. "We do have several decanted schools for quite a few years. For many years, community centres have typically been used as the decanting centres for schools, because they tend to have infrastructure that can be easily adjusted to accommodate the school," she said. Tuesday's tour was aimed at interacting with the principals, other staff and students on the holistic operations of the schools.

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THE PRIME Minister arrived in Guyana on Tuesday where he was received at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport by that country's Prime Minister Brigadier (retired) Mark Phillips, along with Guyana's Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat. Dr Rowley, according to a post on the Office of the Prime Minister's Facebook page, also met with Guyana's President Dr Irfaan Ali who presented him with a steel portrait of his likeness at State House. The steel portrait or silhouette was done by overseas-based Guyanese artist, Paul Jones. The PM is leading a delegatioin in Guyana on a five-day visit to attend the Agri-Investment Forum and Expo which will be held from May 19-21 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. At the 33rd Inter-Sessional Conference of Heads of Government, Caricom leaders agreed that an Agri- Investment Forum and Expo would be an appropriate platform to address the issue of investment in the regional agriculture sector. The forum is geared towards the promotion, engagement, and informed dialogue among key stakeholders along the agri-food value chain. It will bring together policymakers, development partners, foreign and local private investors, farmers and distributors to determine how investment can be encouraged so as to reduce the food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025. Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dr Amery Browne, Minister of Agriculture Kazim Hosein and Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture Avinash Singh are accompanying Rowley on this trip. [caption id="attachment_955267" align="alignnone" width="1024"] ROWLEY MEETS ROWLEY: Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley admires a steel portrait of his likeness presented to him by Guyana's President Dr Irfaan Ali, centre, on Tuesday. Rowley is on a five-day visit to Guyana. PHOTO COURTESY OPM - OPM[/caption] Minister of Finance Colm Imbert is acting as Prime Minister until Rowley's return. Last Saturday, Planning Minister Pennelope Beckles and Minister of Youth Development and National Service Foster Cummings met about 60 farmers from Wallerfield to hear their grievances about their lack of land leases. Beckles is Arima MP and Cummings represents La Horquetta/Talparo. A Sunday Newsday story, Fed-up farmers of Wallerfield, Turure appeal for ‘leases to survive,’ reported the lament of long-standing farmers whose lease applications were tied up in red tape, thereby denying them the chance to access a raft of loans and government assistance. These farmers variously reared cows, pigs and ducks, among other livestock.  

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I dag kan badeglade i Oslo og på Romerike glede seg. For både Frognerbadet i Oslo og Nebburvsvollen friluftsbad i Lillestrøm åpner for sesongen i dag. På Nebbursvollen er vannskliene midlertidig stengt.

Die Solar-«Spinner» hatten rechtVolksblattDie Solar-«Spinner» hatten recht Liechtenstein | Politik Liechtensteiner Volksblatt redaktion@volksblatt.liWed, 18 May 2022 06:27:00Wed, 18 May 2022 01:39:33

SCHAAN - 1992 wurden die Mitglieder der Solargenossenschaft Liechtenstein als «Spinner» abgetan, um es mit den Worten eines Gründers zu sagen. 30 Jahre später zeigt sich mehr denn je, wie recht die damaligen Visionäre hatten. Das bestätigten am Jubiläumsanlass Politiker und Wissenschaftler gleichermassen.

© Liechtensteiner Volksblatt

Kaieteur News – Cambridge Jaguars began the 2022 Canadian Premier Softball Cricket League (CPSCL) Regular Season 20-overs competition auspiciously, trouncing Amazon Sports by seven wickets on Sunday at the Williams G. Davis Public School ground, Cambridge, Ontario. Amazon Sports won the toss and opted to take first strike but the decision proved unjustifiable as wickets […]

Kaieteur News – At Tuesday’s opening of tenders at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office, it was revealed that the Umana Yana roof is slated for rehabilitative works. The project which is being undertaken by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport is estimated to cost $12.9 million. Nine contractors have submitted bids to […]

Producto externo participó con 44% y 19% del consumo local, respectivamente; encarecimiento no ha tocado techo aún y podría mermar la ingesta total este año.

Sporting Cristal empató ante Talleres en el partido por la quinta y penúltima jornada del Grupo H de Copa Libertadores en el estadio Nacional. El conjunto celeste no estará en la siguiente fase del torneo, pero buscará su clasificación a la Copa Sudamericana y, tras culminar el partido, Roberto Mosquera brindó declaraciones a la prensa en las que indicó que se “responsable” por los resultados.

“No me puedo hacer cargo de 18 años. Me hago cargo de lo que corresponde. He dirigido cuatro o cinco Copas Libertadores. En la última que he estado, en el extranjero, hicimos diez puntos”, aclaró Mosquera.

El entrenador celeste consideró que la misión de pasar a la siguiente fase era complicada ya que aceptó “un equipo joven, un equipo de un presupuesto no pesado, así que yo tengo que hacerme cargo, yo soy responsable de todo”.

Asimismo, el DT de Sporting Cristal confirmó que no clasificar les dejó una “sensación desagradable”. ”Es muy fácil señalar, pero también hay que decir que nos han quitado cinco puntos, tres puntos acá en nuestra casa”. agregó.

Por otro lado, agradeció la compañía de los aficionados celestes: “Quedamos agradecidos. Obviamente la hinchada no puede estar contenta porque esperaban mucho más de nosotros”.

Destacó al arquero de Talleres. Mosquera sostuvo que “nadie contaba con una noche tan impecable del arquero en el primer tiempo que tuvimos tres. Lejos de errores, agradecer que hayan acompañado al equipo. No hay disculpas, los resultados son muy claros y no hemos podido conformar lo que se quería”.

Sporting Cristal vs. Talleres: empate en el Nacional

El argentino Talleres de Córdoba empató 0-0 con el peruano Sporting Cristal este martes en Lima, en partido de la quinta fecha del Grupo H de la Copa Libertadores 2022, y clasificó a los octavos de final.

Talleres sumó 8 puntos y aseguró el billete a la siguiente fase detrás de Flamengo de Brasil (13 puntos), que también selló este martes su boleto a octavos al golear 3-0 a la Universidad Católica de Chile (4 puntos) en Rio. Cristal quedó eliminado con dos unidades.

El cuadro argentino jugó casi todo el segundo tiempo con 10 jugadores, por la expulsión del uruguayo Michael Santos, en el duelo disputado en el Estadio Nacional de Lima, pero logró mantener el empate y avanzar a octavos.

ALL TEN clubs participating in the Ascension Football Tournament will receive $25,000 apiece at the end of round one thanks to the overwhelming support of the league.

A media release signed by the tournament director of the league Keiron Edwards said, "Please be informed that the organisers of the Ascension Tournament of TT 2022 is prepared to remit to the participating clubs of the tournament, the sum of $250,000 in appearance fees.

"This is a result of the overwhelming support we have received for the tournament at the end of the first round of games which should finish on 22 May, 2022. Not only have we gotten increased spectator support, but several corporate sponsors have assisted the tournament tremendously."

Among the sponsors are Terminix Trinidad Limited, La Soufriere Maritime Limited, Campari, Magmum, TV6, TT Express, CNC3 and TT Guardian.

"As such, each participating club will receive $25,000 at the end of the first round of games of the tournament."

The league organisers said everyone must benefit from the success of the league.

"This initiative is part of the ongoing strategic plan of the tournament of sharing revenue of the tournament with participating clubs to help alleviate their expenses. We also expect this financial support to increase in the future as the tournament improves in popularity."

Discussing the role of the media, the release said, "A critical element of the success of the tournament is the role of the media of bringing the football to the public. Every single game of the competition was streamed on our website https://theascensiontournament.com. The double header games on Friday nights are shown on SportsMax and TV6. The Sunday game was shown on CNC3. With the games on Saturdays and Sundays being also shown on Music and Entertainment TV."

"All games are also shown on Youtube and they are also archived on our website where any interested person can view an entire transmission of a past game. This has clearly brought the local football to the homes of the entire population of TT and the other Caribbean islands. It has popularised the tournament exponentially."

Players will be seen, the release said. "In addition, such wide media exposure has also provided the opportunity for prospective players to be viewed by professional football scouts with the hope of creating employment opportunities abroad for local players."

The Ascension League thanked the media for their "fantastic coverage and support of tournament" with "special thanks going to SportsMax, TV6, Express, CNC3, Guardian, M&E TV and WI Sports."

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TRINIDAD AND Tobago Under-20 striker Malachi Celestine dreams of earning a coveted spot on the men’s football team.

Celestine, a resident of Sea Lots, wants to go all the way and become a pro player like his former East Mucurapo Secondary football predecessors Kevin Molino, as well as brothers Joevin and Alvin Jones.

Currently the Under-20 team is training towards their first round of Concacaf Under-20 Championship matches which kicks off in Honduras in June. TT open their group F campaign against Haiti on June 19, followed by matches against Mexico two days later and Suriname on June 23.

Coming from what many consider a depressed community, Celestine is intent on breaking the cycle and finding success through sport.

“Every day I wake up I want to be a better person and want to make a better career for myself. Football is a way to get my mind out of the negative aspects.

“Hopefully one day I would like to be one of those players (Molino and the Jones brothers). It’s very exciting knowing what I wanted to be, and I’m here today training with the national team. I want to make my community and family proud.

“It’s very important for us to try to qualify for this World Cup because it think it could be a revolution for our football. Football gives me hope and it’s a big part of who I am,” he said in an interview with TTFA media.

Celestine said he started appreciating football while growing up, viewing it on television and playing video games. He was inspired by former Manchester United and English striker Wayne Rooney.

In his younger years, Celestine played football on the community hard court with his friends. One day, his cousin took him to Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain to try out for Trendsetter Hawks FC.

He was observed by their coach Anthony ‘Dada’ Wickham, who selected the youngster to his youth team.

“From there, I got picked and it’s then my career started. Dada inspired me a lot and helped me develop playing football.

“Living in growing up in Sea Lots, it’s hard because there aren’t many who do sport. It’s a lot of guns, smoking, drinking and partying. I wanted to make it different I wanted to show that Sea Lots (is not about) that alone,” he added.

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The Tobago Business Chamber has described as “mixed signals” the government’s presentation of the Mid-Year Budget Review on Monday in the House of Representatives. In the presentation, Finance Minister Colm Imbert announced that Trinidad and Tobago achieved a surplus of $1.98 billion at the end of April, instead of a projected deficit of $5.7 billion. While Imbert did not mention any specific arrangement for Tobago in the presentation, the chamber’s chairman Martin George said in a WhatsApp voice note on Tuesday, “The Tobago Business Chamber wishes to express its appreciation for any increased allocation that the government has given in relation to Tobago in their mid-year review.” He added, “However, we do express our concern as it relates to what appears to be mixed signals coming from the government, because on the one hand we hear of the economic challenges in the country, and then (there is) the picture painted by the Minister of Finance in terms of the mid-year review, which seems to be a bright and rosy picture.” George said if the latter were the case, the government did not have to increase fuel prices. “One needs to question why the government then felt it necessary to have that removal of the fuel subsidy, or reduction in the level of fuel subsidy, which resulted in increased fuel prices for consumers, which then had a knock-on effect on everything, if it is that we are so much out of the slump as the Minister of Finance has indicated.” The Prime Minister in March told the country the public cannot be insulated from the hike in fuel prices owing to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He said the fuel subsidy had become unsustainable. George said if the country is experiencing good news, he hoped the government would use the opportunity to increase its diversification thrust. “A major part of that would be some serious focus on the tourism industry in Tobago and ensuring that things such as the current legislative regime, which strangles direct foreign investment, that those things are removed.” He repeated the chamber’s call for the immediate and unconditional repeal of the Foreign Investment Act. George again called on the government to consider making Tobago a VAT-free zone so that people can choose Tobago as their retirement home. “So therefore, you are immediately saved 12.5 per cent of all your expenses by coming to live in Tobago as a VAT-free zone. It is something both Tobagonians and Trinidadians will enjoy. It is not just for Tobagonians. So it is going to be tremendous benefit for everybody.” He said there must a boost in investment in Tobago. “These are two simple measures that the government can take to make an immediate impact. The country is crying out for foreign exchange. If we remove that Foreign Investment Act, the amount of foreign investors who will come to Tobago and pump foreign exchange into Trinidad and Tobago is going to be amazing. “So we call upon the government to be creative and innovative while trying to manage the economy, and we are saying there are simple things that can be done and the Tobago business chamber calls upon the government to take these steps now to help alleviate the pressures on the economy in Tobago.”

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FORMER RED Force captain Rayad Emrit believes Trinidad and Tobago has a good chance of capturing the elusive West Indies Four-Day Championship title. TT have not won the competition in 16 years and currently sit in second position on the 2022 standings with three rounds of matches to go. The Red Force and Leeward Islands Hurricanes resume their quest when action bowls off at Diego Martin Sporting Complex, Diego Martin on Wednesday from 10 am. This is the first time since its official opening in 2019 that the facility will host first-class matches. Emrit, who has 84 first-class appearances, is optimistic the team has the depth to go all the way. “It’s very important for Red Force to start well against Leewards, either batting or bowling, and set the pace. They’re in a very good position and playing at home is always an advantage. “I think they are in a very good place. They are one of the teams that would be fighting for the title. They are going to be contenders. They just need to continue where they left off from the break,” he said. Red Force (38.6 points) are slightly ahead of third-placed Hurricanes (24.6 points) and the winners from this clash could shake up the overall standings heading into the final two rounds of competition. TT won their first two matches against Jamaica Scorpions and Windward Islands Volcanoes while the Leewards opened their account with a loss against defending champions Barbados Pride (42 points) followed by a convincing innings and 57-run triumph over Guyana Harpy Eagles. A win, for either team in this third round meeting, is crucial moving forward. Additionally, TT have won this competition five times as compared to Leewards’ four. The last time the Red Force won it was back in the 2005-2006 season while Leewards’ last capture was in 1997-1998, shared with Guyana. TT have been bolstered for the tournament’s second phase with the inclusion of West Indies players – left-handed batsman Darren Bravo, left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein and pacer Shannon Gabriel. They join a powerful TT line-up which also includes WI players Joshua Da Silva, Jason Mohammed and Anderson Phillip. Seales and Phillip however, leave the team camp after the Leewards match for WI duty in Netherlands and Pakistan. Emrit thinks this combination can produce a winning formula. “The team is strengthened by the likes of Darren Bravo and Joshua Da Silva in the set up. Akeal Hosein, who has been in some really good form in the shorter version of the game, he will add a big boost to the batting lineup, and with his bowling and fielding skills. “I think (captain) Imran Khan has led the team very well thus far. He just has to continue doing what he’s doing. It’s will be great if this team can lift the trophy. It’s been a while we have held it. It’s a great title to win and hopefully they can get their hands on this trophy this time,” he added. Meanwhile, Barbados also do battle against fourth-ranked Guyana (21.4 points) at Queen’s Park Oval, St Clair from the same time. Windward Islands and Jamaica also return to competition at Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba from 10 am, also on Wednesday. TT face Barbados in their fourth round match next Wednesday in Tarouba. This encounter is crucial and the result holds much weight in possibly deciding who will go top ahead of the final two rounds. “Barbados however are not a walkover in this tournament with a lot of experienced players in their team. But, with that being said, I still think the Red Force has a good chance at the crown,” Emrit closed. In a recent Cricket West Indies virtual press conference, Leeward Islands four-day coach Stuart Williams said he is hoping to pick up where they left off before the ten-week break. Like the Red Force, they are also intent on securing full points. “The players are very thirsty (to play). Our last game (against Guyana), it’s all about momentum for us. I know we are coming off a lengthy break but the way we finished our last game, we‘re definitely looking forward to starting these last three rounds on a positive note. We are looking forward to the challenges ahead, and this is going be Trinidad, one game at a time,” he said.

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CENTRAL SOCCER World rallied from a goal down to defeat Central FC 2-1 on Sunday, at the Police Barracks in St James, as the Ascension Invitational Tournament continued on Sunday. In a meeting of two struggling outfits, Central FC took the lead through Leonardo Da Costa, in the 17th minute, but Central FC responded in the second half with items from Ryan Fredericks, in the 50th, and Kemuel Rivers 11 minutes later. On Friday, in a pair of matches at the La Horquetta Recreation Ground in Arima, leaders Terminix La Horquetta Rangers were held to a 1-1 draw by Cunupia FC while Defence Force whipped Police 4-2. A day later, at the Arima Velodrome, AC Port of Spain spanked the point-less Moruga FC 6-1 and Deportivo Point Fortin breezed past Real West Fort United 4-0. Matches will continue this weekend (March 20-22). Points Standings – 1.Rangers 20; 2.Defence Force 20; 3.Police 18; 4.Deportivo Point Fortin 14; 5.Cunupia FC 13; 6.AC Port of Spain 9; 7.Central Soccer World 7; 8.Real West Fort United 7; 9.Central FC 5; 10.Moruga FC 0.

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FORMER Independent Senator Diana Mahabir-Wyatt, who was a member of the task force which investigated children’s homes 25 years ago, is questioning the rationale behind the Prime Minister’s demand for the police commissioner to investigate that report. Speaking to Newsday in a telephone interview on Tuesday, Mahabir-Wyatt, a human rights activist, confirmed being a member of the Robert Sabga-led task force. On Dr Rowley's call to acting CoP McDonald Jacob to find a copy of the Sabga report, investigate it and bring those guilty to justice, Mahabir-Wyatt said she is willing to supply a copy of the report through her lawyer, if so requested. However, up to Tuesday afternoon, she said she had not been contacted by anyone from the police or the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). She showed Newsday her personal copy of the Sabga Task Force report. The task force, chaired by Sabga and including Mahabir-Wyatt, Vasant Ramkissoon, Valerie Alleyne-Rawlins and Basdai Gayadeen-Catchpole, investigated nine children’s homes and uncovered neglect and abuse of the children, a paedophile ring, a system of “kick-backs” by “senior officials,” fraud and more. “After a certain number of years have passed, you can no longer charge somebody with an offence. I don’t have the names, because the report I have does not include names, other than an allegation against one security guard who was said to have sexually abused children, and one particular nun who was being cruel and abusive,” Mahabir-Wyatt told Newsday. TOP COP TOLD TO ACT IMMEDIATELY On Monday, in a statement on the Office of the Prime Minister's Facebook page, Dr Rowley said he always paid special attention to homes for children and only became aware of the Sabga report when articles about it appeared in the media. Rowley said he was told that the Cabinet-appointed committee, led by retired judge Judith Jones, which was appointed to look into the same issue last year, tried and failed to get a copy of the 1997 report. [caption id="attachment_955253" align="alignnone" width="683"] Former Independent Senator Diana Mahabir-Wyatt, who was a member of the Robert Sabga Task Force, at her Cascade home on Tuesday. PHOTO BY ROGER JACOB -[/caption] “I am today publicly calling on the commissioner of police to take immediate steps to find this Sabga report and the evidence of all those who were aware of this frightening situation and take all necessary action against all who have been implicated in or with these very shocking revelations as published,” Rowley said. However, Mahabir-Wyatt said she was not unknown or hard to find and questioned why members of the committee, or anyone else, did not ask her. She said the report was commissioned by then community empowerment, sport and consumer affairs minister Manohar Ramsaran and was sent to him. She said, as far as she knew, the report was taken to Cabinet, which made Cabinet responsible for implementing the report's recommendations. She said she never heard if the report led to any police investigation, but at the time, she believed the minister or the Cabinet would have forwarded the information to the police. As a result, although she was not officially told to keep quiet about the report, Mahabir-Wyatt said she did not go to the police herself. “I naturally assumed that was what they would do. I really thought it was what they had done. But since then, there have been a number of ministers in that portfolio who would have come across that report and none of them seemed to be concerned.” MR PM, DON'T  CHASE GHOSTS In an interview with i95.5 FM on Tuesday morning, Robert Sabga suggested that a “social media activist” for the People’s National Movement had a copy of the report. He too questioned the purpose behind Rowley's call for police action on a 25-year-old report, saying the PM should focus on fixing the problems that exist now regarding the care of TT's children, instead of “chasing ghosts.” Sabga said most of the people involved were either dead or had moved on so, instead of focusing on them, the government should pay attention to the bigger issues that needed to be fixed. Sabga stressed that the report was not “buried” or had been “sat on.” He said it did not go to the police because it was a fact-finding mission, not a forensic investigation. He admitted there were “problems with the machinery” that followed, as he believed there should have been police action. At the same time, Sabga told the i95.5 FM reporter that the police already knew about the paedophile ring, describing it as one of the worst-kept secrets in TT, since there were many prominent and influential people involved. [caption id="attachment_955251" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The Robert Sabga Task Force 1997 report on children's home in TT. PHOTO BY ROGER JACOB -[/caption] “The reports, as I understand, were then sent down with a Cabinet note that those things have to be actioned. What happened after that I can’t speak to. I think action was taken as much as was possible, given the realities of the processes involved. "What we had wasn’t evidence. It wasn’t evidentiary in the sense that you could take it to court.” Sabga also referred to statements by Ramsaran, who said action was taken on the report by the government of the time, which created “seven or eight” pieces of legislation about children, and improvements were made to the system. Sabga also claimed the Children's Authority Act came out of that report. Mahabir-Wyatt said a lot of legislation involving children had been amended over the years and she could not say for certain if any resulted from the Sabga report. [caption id="attachment_955252" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The table of contents in the Robert Sabga Task Force 1997 report. PHOTO BY ROGER JACOB -[/caption] However, as far as she knew, the Children's Authority Act was not connected to the Sabga report. The act was laid in 1999, passed in December 2008, and proclaimed in May 2015. Mahabir-Wyatt said the Sabga task force members expected improvements would be made to the treatment of children in state-run and state-assisted homes and homes managed by religious organisations. She said recommendations in the Sabga report, are “more or less the same” as tthose in he 2021 Judith Jones report. She believes the same problems keep recurring because of TT’s culture and politics. “Children don’t vote. And when you have elections coming up, the interests of children fall behind the political interests of the country. "And people in our culture don’t really listen to children. They tell children what to do and to think.”  

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